Local restaurant Dante's Pizzeria Napoletana has been recognised within the top 50 pizzerias in the world. Photo / Madeleine Crutchley
Local restaurant Dante's Pizzeria Napoletana has been recognised within the top 50 pizzerias in the world. Photo / Madeleine Crutchley
This article was one of Herald Travel’s best-read stories of 2023
Looking for an excellent authentic pizza, without the hours of international travel? This Auckland pizzeria has just been named among the world’s top 50.
An Auckland-based pizzeria has landed an impressive spot in a global ranking of the top 100 pizza places, placing within the top 50 restaurants. The ranking sees the local restaurant rivalling pizza shops all around the world – from Naples to New York to Tokyo.
Dante’s Pizzeria Napoletana has been ranked number 47 in the world, jumping 18 spots from its place in last year’s ranking. It is the only New Zealand-based spot on the list. Earlier this year, the pizzeria was also awarded the number seven spot in the Asia Pacific region.
The shop was founded by Kevin Morris in 2003, with the first shop popping up in Kumeū. Dante’s was named after his Italian grandfather. Now, the local business has three restaurants across Auckland, in Takapuna, Ponsonby Central and Eastridge Eatery. In early 2013, Morris also welcomed chef Enis Bacova on board.
Bacova, hard at work in the Eastridge Eatery kitchen (adorned with plenty of pizza prizes), says that the win is a result of hard work over a number of years and that the presence of the competition has encouraged a lift in their pride in the kitchen.
Dante's Chef Enis Bacova works on a Queen Margherita in the Eastridge Eatery restaurant. Photo / Madeleine Crutchley
“Artisan people like us, who, until yesterday, were sort of embarrassed to say ‘we do pizza’. Now we put our heads up, and we are proud of our product... it put the whole morale of the industry up.”
In the competition, Bacova says, they evaluate the restaurant as a whole.
“They evaluate not just the pizza as a product, but the service, the environment, the menu as a whole, the wine list... It’s a copy and paste of Michelin star but for pizza.”
The sourdough pizzas at Dante’s are made with flour imported from Italy and are long fermented and highly hydrated (at about 80 per cent). Then, they are baked, fresh to order, in a wood-fired oven. The cured meats, olives, cheese and tomato products that top the pizzas are all delivered directly from Italian suppliers. The pizzas are made in the traditional Napoletana style.
Bacova also believes that blending high-quality ingredients from Naples, like flour, soft cheese and cherry tomatoes (grown in enriched volcanic soil), with specific artisan New Zealand-made products, gave those pizzas the edge in international judging.
“I took with me two trademarks of New Zealand-produced ingredients, which were the venison and wagyu salami, made in New Zealand, and manuka honey, fused with black garlic. I used these two ingredients in my winning pizza and that gave a whisper to the ears of top judges about New Zealand and what New Zealand can bring to the table.”
Bacova explains that, if restaurant visitors want to get an idea of the quality of a pie, a Margherita is one of the most revealing pizzas on the menu.
The voluminous crust of the sourdough Margherita from Dante's, which has been named one of the top 50 pizzerias in the world. Photo / Madeleine Crutchley
“As espresso is in a coffee shop - Margherita is this in a pizza shop. If you want to really try the coffee these guys do, you should order an espresso - no gimmicks. Just pure coffee. And that’s a Margherita for us.”
The Margherita pizza from Dante’s has a super airy crust and a warming meld of tomato and cheese, and a few fresh sprigs of basil. The crust makes a loud crackle as the chef cuts into it, and the smells are deeply enticing. Though the pie is delicious (taste-tested to big grins), the work is never done.
“The development continues. I also try to see ways of incorporating more New Zealand produce in the mix.”
For Bacova, the involvement in the competition and recognition that has come because of it has also instilled a want to develop the craft of pizza-making and learn more about the process.
“By being listed, it gives artisan people, craftsmen, that oomph inside you to be better, to be better every day and offer a better product, a better service. The whole thing influences the whole industry, which is a wonderful thing to happen.”
Dante's chef Enis Bacova stands in front of the pizza oven, which turns out sourdough pies of world-class quality. Photo / Madeleine Crutchley
The pizzeria has also received mention from the guide before. Last year, Dante’s was named at number 65 in the annual ranking. In 2022, it also ranked number nine among the top 10 pizzerias in Asia Pacific and also won the award for innovation and sustainability in the region.
The international ranking was completed by 50 Top Pizza, an online guide that collates information and stories about the best pizzerias around the world, with extensive criteria and process of anonymous judging.
This article was originally published on September 16, 2023
